Sleep, study, socialize: the college dilemma

The triangle to the left is one I have been pondering for quite some time now. The first time I saw it was about a month ago, when one of my friends showed it to me and bluntly said, “You can’t have it all.”

I am so dismissive and resentful of being told that I cannot do it all. Call me childish, but I believe that the sky is the limit. I believe that I can have two majors, be a varsity athlete, a sister of a sorority, the president of the Panhellenic council, a tour guide, a Breazzano House Council member, have great friends and succeed academically.

As someone who fervently believes that she can do anything and that nothing is unachievable, I discarded the triangle as ridiculous. But when I looked at the image again a few days later and reevaluated its message, I was disheartened. I knew it was true, and I knew that I had made the decision between the three long before I had ever seen the triangle.

Do I sleep enough? Probably not. Will that eventually hinder my ability to do all of the other things that I want to do? Maybe.

This triangle leads me to question the choices we make as college students. What is important to us? Why did each of us pick the two that we did? Are we happy with the decision we made?

Do not misunderstand me: I love sleep. I often crave the warmth and comfort of my bed during my busiest days. And who knows, I may need sleep because there is always the possibility that I am still growing (let’s hope not). However, I have invested so much of my heart and energy into the other two categories that the last one just did not make the cut.

So, as you continue to stare at that triangle that defines your college choices and subsequent experience, think about all the things you want to achieve and how you can achieve them. But remember, you can only pick two.